III. The travellers landed on a vast flight of sparkling steps of lapis-lazuli. Ascending, they entered beautiful gardens; winding walls that yielded to the feet, and accelerated your passage by their rebounding pressure; fragrant shrubs covered with dazzling flowers, the fleeting tints of which changed every moment; groups of tall trees with strange birds of brilliant and variegated plumage, singing and reposing in their sheeny foliage, and fountains of perfames.

Before them rose an illimitable and golden palace, with high spreading domes of pearl, and long windows of crystals. Around the huge portal of ruby was ranged a company of winged genii, who smiled on Mercury as he passed them with

his charge.

"The father of gods and men is dressing," said the son of Maia. I shall attend his toilette and inform him of your arrival. These are your rooms. Dinner will be ready in half an hour. I will call for you as I go down. You can be formally presented in the evening. At that time, inspired by liqueurs and his matchless band of wind instruments, you will agree with the world that Ægiochus is the most finished God in existence."

IV.

"Now, Ixion, are you ready?" "Even so. What says Jove?" "He smiled, but said nothing. robe. By this time he is seated. on!"

He was trying on a new Hark! the thunder. Come

They entered a cupaloed hall. Seats of ivory and gold were ranged round a circular table of cedar, inlaid with the campaigns against the Titans in silver exquisitely worked, a nuptial present of Vulcan. The service of gold plate threw all the ideas of the King of Thessaly as to royal magnificence into the darkest shade. The enormous plateau represented the constellations. Ixion viewed the father of gods and men with great interest, who, however, did not notice him. He acknowledged the majesty of that countenance whose nod shook Olympus. Majestically robust and luxuriantly lusty, his tapering waist was evidently immortal, for it defied Time, and his splendid auburn curls, parted on his forehead with celestial precision, descended over cheeks glowing with the purple radiancy of perpetual manhood.

The haughty Juno was seated on his left hand and Ceres on his right. For the rest of the company there was Neptune, Latona. Minerva and Apollo, and when Mercury and Ixion had taken their places, one seat was still vacant.

"Where is Diana?" inquired Jupiter, with a frown. "My sister is hunting," said Apollo.

"She is always too late for dinner," said Jupiter. "No habit is less Goddess-like."

"Godlike pursuits cannot be expected to induce Goddesslike manners," said Juno, with a sneer.

"I have no doubt Diana will be here directly," said Latona, mildly.

Jupiter seemed pacified, and at that instant the absent guest returned.

"Good sport, Di?" inquired Neptune.

"Very fair, Uncle. Mamma," continued the sister of Apollo, addressing herself to Juno, whom she ever thus styled when she wished to conciliate her-"I have brought you a new peacock."

Juno was fond of pets, and was conciliated by the present. "Bacchus made a great, noise about this wine, Mercury," said Jupiter, "but I think with little cause. What think you?"

"It pleases me, but I am fatigued, and then all wine is agreeable."

"You have had a long journey," replied the Thunderer. "Ixion, I am glad to see you in heaven."

"Your Majesty arrived to-day" inquired Minerva, to whom the King of Thessaly sat next.

"Within this hour."

terests me.

"Indeed!" said Ixion. "Yes: they at least can look forward to a termination of the ennui of existence, but for us Celestials there is no pros pect. Say what they like, Immortality is a bore." "You eat nothing, Apollo," said Ceres. "Nor drink," said Neptune.

"To eat, to drink, what is it but to live; and what is life but death, if death be that which all men deem it, a thing insufferable, and to be shunned. I refresh myself now only with the soda water and biscuits. Ganymede give me some." Now, although the cuisine of Olympus was considered perfect, the forlorn poet had unfortunately fixed upon the only not comprised in its cellar or two articles which were larder. In Heaven, there was neither soda water nor biscuits. A great confusion consequently ensued; but at length the bard, whose love of fame was only equalled by his horror of getting fat, consoled himself with a swan stuffed with truffles, and a bottle of strong Tenedos wine.

"What do you think of Homer," inquired Minerva of "Is he not delightful?"

Apollo.
"If you think so."

"Nay, I am desirous of your opinion."

"Then you should not have given me yours, for your taste is too fine for me to dare to differ with it."

"I have suspected, for some time, that you are rather a heretic."

'Why, the truth is," replied Apollo, playing with his rings, "I do not think much of Homer. Homer was not esteemed in his own age, and our contemporaries are generally our best judges. The fact is, there are very few people who are qualified to decide upon matters of taste. A certain set, for certain reasons, resolve to cry up a certain writer, and the great mass soon join in. All is cant. And the present admiration of Homer not less so. They say I have borrowed a great deal from him. The truth is, I never read Homer since I was a child, and I thought of him then what I think of him now, a writer of some wild irregular power, totally deficient in taste. Depend upon it, our contemporaries are our best judges, and his contemporaries decided that Homer was nothing. A great poet cannot be kept down. Look at my case. Marsyas said of my first volume that it was pretty good poetry for a God, and in answer I wrote a satire, and flayed Marsyas alive. But what is poetry, and what is criticism, and what is life? Air. And what is Air? Do you know, I don't. All is nystery, and all is gloom, and ever and anon from out the clouds a star breaks forth, and glitters, and that star is Poetry.”

"Splendid!" exclaimed Minerva.

"I do not exactly understand you," said Neptune. "Have you heard from Proserpine, lately?" inquired Jupiter of Ceres.

06

Yesterday," said the domestic mother. "They talk of soon joining us. But Pluto is at present so busy, owing to the amazing quantity of wars going on now, that I am almost afraid he will be scarcely able to accompany her."

Juno exchanged a telegraphic nod with Ceres. The Goddesses rose, and retired.

"Come, old boy," said Jupiter to Ixion, instantly throwing off all his chivalric majesty, "I drink your welcome in a magnum of Maraschino. Damn your poetry, Apollo, and Mercury give us one of your good stories."

V.

The Thunderer entered the saloon of Juno with that bow, which no God could rival; all rose, and the King of Heaven seated himself between Ceres and Latona. The melancholy Apollo stood apart, and was soon carried off by Minerva to an assembly at the house of Mnemosyne. Mercury chatted with the Graces, and Bacchus with Diana. The three Muses favored the company with singing, and the Queen of Heaven approached Ixion. "Does your Majesty dance?" she haughtily inquired. "On earth; I have few accomplishments even there, and node in Heaven."

"You have led a strange life! I have heard of your adventures."

"A king who has lost his crown may generally gain at least experience."

"Your courage is firm."

"I have felt too much to care for much. Yesterday I was a vagabond exposed to every pitiless storm, and now I am the guest of Jove. While there is life there is hope, and he who laughs at Destiny will gain Fortune. I would go through the past again to enjoy the present, and feel that, after all, I am my wife's debtor, since, through her conduct, I can gaze upon you."

"No great spectacle. If that be all, I wish you better

fortune."

Mercury and Ganymede were each lolling on an opposite couch in the ante-chamber of Olympus.

"It is wonderful," said the son of Maia, yawning. "It is incredible," rejoined the cup-bearer of Jove, stretching his legs.

"A miserable mortal!" exclaimed the god, elevating his eye-brows.

"A vile Thessalian!” said the beautiful Phrygian, shrugging his shoulders.

Not three days back an outcast among his own wretched species!"

"And now commanding every body in Heaven." "He shall not command me, though," said Mercury. "Will he not? replied Ganymede, "Why, what do you think?-only last night-hark! here he comes.'

The companions jumped up from their couches-a light laugh was heard. The cedar portal was flung open, and Ixion lounged in, habited in a loose morning robe, and kicking before him one of his slippers.

"Ah!" exclaimed the King of Thessaly, "the very fellows I wanted to see! Ganymede, bring me some nectar; and, Mercury, run and tell Jove that I shall not dine at home to-day."

The messenger and the page exchanged looks of indignant consternation.

"Well! what are you waiting for?" continued Ixion, looking round from the mirror in which he was arranging his locks. The messenger and the page disappeared.

"So! this is Heaven," exclaimed the husband of Dia, flinging himself upon one of the couches, "and a very pleasant place too. These worthy immortals required their minds to be opened, and I trust I have effectually performed the neces sary operation. They wanted to keep me down with their dull old-fashioned celestial airs, but I fancy I have given them change for their talent. To make your way in Heaven you must command. These exclusives sink under the audacious invention of an aspiring mind. Jove himself is really a fine ld fellow, with some notions too. I am a prime favorite, and

no one is greater authority with Ægiochus on all subjects, from the character of the fair sex or the pedigree of a courser, down to the cut of a robe or the flavor of a dish. Thanks, Ganymede," continued the Thessalian, as he took the goblet from his returning attendant.

"I drink to your bonnes fortunes. Splendid! This nectar makes me feel quite immortal. By-the-by, I hear sweet sounds. Who is in the Hall of Music?"

"The goddesses, royal sir, practising a new air of Euterpe, the words by Apollo. 'T is pretty, and will doubtless be very popular, for it is all about moonlight and the misery of existence."

"I warrant it."

You have a taste for poetry yourself?" inquired Ganymede. "Not the least," replied Ixion.

though Marsyas said that he never would be a poet because "Apollo," continued the heavenly page, "is a great genius, he was a god, and had no heart. But do you think, Sir, that a poet does indeed need a heart?"

"I really cannot say. I know my wife always said I had a bad heart and worse head, but what she meant, upon my honor I never could understand."

"Minerva will ask you to write in her album.".

"Will she indeed! I am very sorry to hear it, for I can scarcely scrawl my own signature. I should think that Jove

himself cared little for all this nonsense?"

"Jove loves an epigram. He does not esteem Apollo's tire, provided there be no allusions to gods and kings." works at all. Jove is of the classical school, and admires sa

"Of course; I quite agree with him. I remember we had fore the deluge, and asked me for a pension. I refused him, a confounded poet at Larissa who proved my family lived be the veritable stones thrown by Deucalion and Pyrrha at the and then he wrote an epigram asserting that I sprang from repeopling of the earth, and retained all the properties of my Ha, ha! Hark! there's a thunderbolt! I must run to Jove."

ancestors

66

“And I will look in on the musicians. This way, I think.” Up the ruby staircase-turn to your right, down the amethyst gallery-Farewell ""

"Good bye-a lively lad that!"

X.

The King of Thessaly entered the Hall of Music with its golden walls and crystal dome. The Queen of Heaven was reclining in an easy chair, cutting out peacocks in small sheets of note paper. Minerva was making a pencil observation on a manuscript copy of the song: Apollo listened with defer ence to her laudatory criticisms. Another divine dame, standing by the side of Euterpe, who was seated by the harp, looked up as Ixion entered. The wild liquid glance of her soft but radiant countenance denoted the famed Goddess of Beauty.

Juno just acknowledged the entrance of Ixion by a slight and very haughty inclination of the head, and then resumed her employment. Minerva asked him his opinion of her amendment, of which he greatly approved. Apollo greeted him with a melancholy smile, and congratulated him on being mortal. Venus complimented him on his visit to Olympus, and expressed the pleasure that she experienced in making his acquaintance.

"What do you think of Heaven?" inquired Venus in a soft still voice, and with a smile like summer lightning. "I never found it so enchanting as at this moment," replied Ixion.

"A little dull For myself I pass my time chiefly at Cnidos: you must come and visit me there. 'I is the most charming place in the world. 'T is said, you know, that our onions are like other people's roses. We will take care of you, if your wife come.

"No fear of that. She always remains at home and piques herself on her domestic virtues, which means pickling, and quarreling with her husband."

"Ah! I see you are a droll. Very good indeed. Well, for my part, I like a watering-place existence. Cnidos, Paphos, Cythera-you will usually find me at one of these places. I like the easy distraction of a career without any visible result. At these fascinating spots your gloomy race, to whom, by-theby, I am exceedingly partial, appear emancipated from the wearing fetters of their regular, dull, orderly, methodical, moral, political, toiling existence. I pride myself upon being the Goddess of Watering-places. You really must pay me a visit at Cnidos."

"It must be a widow, then," continued Cupid.

"Who ever heard before of such a piece of work about a widow!"

"Have pity upon me, dread Cupid!" exclaimed the King of Thessaly, rising suddenly from the ground, and falling on his knee before the God. "Thou art the universal friend of man, and all nations alike throw their incense on thy altars.Thy divine discrimination has not deceived thee. I am in love; desperately-madly-fatally enamoured. The object of my passion is neither my own wife nor another man's. In spite of all they have said and sworn, I am a moral member of society. She is neither a maid nor a widow. She is-" "What? what?" exclaimed the impatient deity. "A goddess!" replied the King.

"Wheugh!" whistled Cupid. "What! has my mischievous mother been indulging you with an innocent flirtation?" 'Yes; but it produced no effect upon me."

"You have a stout heart, then. Perhaps you have been reading poetry with Minerva, and are caught in one of her Platonic man-traps."

"She set one, but I broke away."

"You have a stout leg, then. But where are you-where are you? Is it Hebe?-it can hardly be Diana, she is so very cold. Is it a Muse, or is it one of the Graces?"

Ixion again shook his head.

Come, my dear fellow," said Cupid, quite in a confidential tone, "you have told enough to make further, reserve mere affectation. Ease your heart at once, and if I can assist you, depend upon my exertions."

"Beneficent God!" exclaimed Ixion, "if I ever return to Larissa, the brightest temple in Greece shall hail thee for its inspiring deity. I address thee with all the confiding frank ness of a devoted votary. Know, then, the heroine of my reverie was no less a personage than the Queen of Heaven herself!"

"Juno! by all that is sacred!" shouted Cupid.

"I am here," responded a voice of majestic melody. The stately form of the Queen of Heaven advanced from a neighboring bower. Ixion stood with his eyes fixed upon the ground, with a throbbing heart and burning cheeks. Juno stood motionless, pale, and astounded. The God of Love burst into excessive laughter.

"A pretty pair," he exclaimed, fluttering between both, and laughing in their faces. "Truly a pretty pair. Well! I see I am in your way. Good by!" And so saying, the God pulled a couple of arrows from his quiver, and, with the rapidity of lightning, shot one in the respective breasts of the Queen of Heaven and the King of Thessaly.

XII.

The amethystine twilight of Olympus died away. The stars blazed with tints of every hue. Ixion and Juno returned to the palace. She leaned upon his arm;-her eyes were fixed upon the ground;-they were in sight of the gorgeous pile, and yet she had not spoken. Ixion, too, was silent, and gazed with abstraction upon the glowing sky.

Suddenly, when within a hundred yards of the portal, Juno stopped, and looking up into the face of Ixion with an irresistible smile, she said, "I am sure you cannot now refuse to tell me what the Queen of Mesopotamia's peacock's tail was made of?"

The King of Thessaly and the Queen of Heaven exchanged a glance and entered the saloon. Jove looked up with a brow of thunder, but did not condescend to send forth a single flash of anger. Jove looked up and Jove looked down. All Olym pus trembled as the father of gods and men resumed his soup. The rest of the guests seemed nervous and reserved, except Cupid, who said immediately to Juno, "Your Majesty has been detained?"

"I fell asleep in a bower reading Apollo's last poem," replied Juno. "I am lucky, however, in finding a companion in my negligence. Ixion, where have you been?" "Take a glass of nectar, Juno," said Cupid, with eyes twinkling with mischief; "and, perhaps, Ixion will join us.' This was the most solemn banquet ever celebrated in Olympus. Every one seemed out of humor or out of spirits. Jupi ter spoke only in monosyllables of suppressed rage, that sound ed like distant thunder.

Apollo whispered to Minerva. Mercury never opened his lips, but occasionally exchanged significant glances with Gany mede. Mars compensated, by his attentions to Venus, for his want of conversation. Cupid employed himself in asking disagreeable questions. At length the goddesses retired.— Mercury exerted himself to amuse Jove, but the Thunderer scarcely deigned to smile at his best stories. Mars picked his teeth-Apollo played with his rings-Ixion was buried in a profound reverie.

XIV.

Ha, ha!" said Cupid.,

Jupiter played piquette with Mercury.

Every thing goes wrong to-day," said the King of Heaven; "cards wretched, kept waiting for dinner, and by-a mortal!" "Your Majesty must not be surprised," said the good na tured Mercury, with whom Ixion was no favorite. "Your Majesty must not be very much surprised at the conduct of this creature. Considering what he is, and where he is, I am only astonished that his head is not more turned than it ap pears to be. A man, a thing made of mud, and in Heaven! Only think, sire! Is it not enough to inflame the brain of any child of clay? To be sure, keeping your majesty from dinner is little short of celestial high treason. I hardly expected that, indeed. To order me about, to treat Ganymede as his own lacquey, and, in short, to command the whole household; all this might be expected from such a person in such a situa tion, but I confess I did think he had some little respect left for your majesty."

"And he does order you about, eh?" inquired Jove. "I have the spades."

"Oh! 't is quite ludicrous," responded the son of Maia."Your majesty would not expect from me the offices that this absurd upstart daily requires.'

"Eternal destiny! is 't possible? That is my trick. And Ganymede, too?"

"Oh! quite shocking, I assure you, sire," said the beauti cup-bearer, leaning over the chair of Jove, with all the easy insolence of a privileged favorite. "Really, sire, if Ixion is to go on in the way he does, either he or I must quit."

XIII.

Mercury met Juno and Ixion in the gallery leading to the grand banqueting hall.

"I was looking for you," said the God, shaking his head."Jove is in a sublime rage. Dinner has been ready this

hour."

"Is it possible!" exclaimed Jupiter. "But 1 can believe any thing of a man who keeps me waiting for dinner. Two

and three make five."

ex

"It is Juno that encourages him so," said Ganymede. "Does she encourage him?" inquired Jove. "Every body notices it," protested Ganymede.. "It is indeed a little noticed," observed Mercury. "What business has such a fellow to speak to Juno?" claimed Jove. "A mere mortal, a mere miserable mortal!You have the point. How I have been deceived in this fel low! Who ever could have supposed that, after all my generosity to him, he would ever have kept me waiting for din

ner?"

"He was walking with Juno," said Ganymede. "It was all a sham about their having met by accident. Cupid saw them." "Hah!" said Jupiter, turning; "you don't say so. Repiqued, as I am a god. That is mine. Where is the Queen?" Talking to Ixion, sire," said Mercury. "Oh, I beg your pardon, sire; I did not know you meant the queen of diamonds."

"Never mind. I am repiqued, and I have been kept waiting for dinner. Accursed be this day! Is Ixion really talking to Juno? We will not endure this."

XV.

"Where is Juno?" demanded Jupiter.

"I am sure I cannot say," said Venus, with a smile. "I am sure I do not know," said Minerva, with a sneer. "Where is Ixion?" said Cupid, laughing outright. "Mercury, Ganymede, find the Queen of Heaven instantly," thundered the father of gods and men.

The celestial messenger and the heavenly page flew away out of different doors. There was a terrible, an immortal silence. Sublime rage lowered on the brow of Jove like a storm upon the mountain top. Minerva seated herself at the card-table and played at Patience. Venus and Cupid tittered in the back-ground. Shortly returned the envoys, Mercury looked very solemn, Ganymede very malignant.

"Well!" inquired Jove, and all Olympus trembled at the monosyllable.

Mercury shook his head.

"Is this your hospitality, Ægiochus? exclaimed Ixion, in a tone of bullying insolence. "I shall defend myself." "Seize him, seize him!" exclaimed Jupiter. "What! do you all falter? Are you afraid of a mortal?" "And a Thessalian!" added Ganymede. No one advanced.

"Send for Hercules," said Jove.

"I will fetch him in an instant," said Ganymede. "I protest," said the King of Thessaly, "against this violation of the most sacred rights."

"The marriage-tie?" said Mercury.

"The dinner-hour?" said Jove.

"It is no use talking sentiment to Ixion," said Venus; "all mortals are callous."

"Adventures are to the adventurous," said Minerva. "Here is Hercules !-here is Hercules!"

"Seize him!" said Jove; "seize that man."

In vain the mortal struggled with the irresistible demi-god. "Shall I fetch your thunderbolt, Jove?" inquired Ganymede.

66

'Confusion!" exclaimed the father of gods and men, and he rose and seized a candle from the table, scattering the cards in all directions. Every one present, Minerva, and Venus, and Mars, and Apollo, and Mercury, and Ganymede, and the Muses, and the Graces, and all the winged Genii-each seized a candle; rifling the chandeliers, each followed Jove. "This way," said Mercury.

"This way," said Ganymede.

"This way, this way!" echoed the celestial crowd. “Mischief!” cried Cupid, "I must save my victims." They were all upon the terrace. The father of gods and men, though both in a passion and a hurry, moved with dignity. It was, as customary in Heaven, a clear and starry night; but this eve Diana was indisposed, or otherwise engaged, and there was no moonlight. They were in sight of the pavilion.

"What are you?" inquired Cupid of one of the genii, who accidentally extinguished his candle.

"I am a Cloud," answered the winged genius.

"A Cloud! Just the thing. Now do me a shrewd turn, and Cupid is ever your debtor. Fly, fly, pretty cloud, and encompass yon pavilion with your form. Away! ask no questions;-swift as my word."

"I declare there is a fog," said Venus. "An evening mist in Heaven!" said Minerva. "Where is Nox?" said Jove. 64 Every thing goes wrong. Who ever heard of a mist in Heaven?" "My candle is out," said Apollo. "And mine too," said Mars. "And mine-and mine-and mine," said Mercury, and Ganymede, and the Muses, and the Graces.

"All the candles are out!" said Cupid; "a regular fog. I cannot even see the pavilion: it must be hereabouts, though," said the God to himself. "So, so; I should be at home in my own pavilion, and am tolerably accustomed to stealing about in the dark. There is a step; and here, surely here is the lock. The door opens, but the cloud enters before me. Juno, Juno," whispered the God of Love, "we are all here. Be contented to escape, like many other innocent dames, with your reputation only under a cloud: it will soon disperse ; and lo! the Heaven is clearing."

"It must have been the heat of our flambeaux," said Venus; "for see, the mist is vanished; here is the pavilion." Ganymede ran forward, and dashed open the door. Ixion was alone.

"Seize him!" said Jove.

"Juno is not here," said Mercury, with an air of blended congratulation and disappointment.

"Never mind," said Jove, "seize him! He kept me waiting for dinner."

"What am I to bind him with?" inquired Hercules. "The girdle of Venus," replied the Thunderer. "What is all this?" inquired Juno, advancing, pale and agitated.

"Come along, you shall see," answered Jupiter. "Follow me, follow me."

They all followed the leader-all the gods, all the genii; in the midst, the brawny husband of Hebe bearing Ixion aloft, bound to the fatal wheel. They reached the terrace; they descended the sparkling steps of lapis lazuli. Hercules held his burthen on high, ready, at a nod, to plunge the hapless, but presumptuous mortal through space into Hades. The heavenly group surrounded him, and peeped over the starry abyss. It was a fine moral, and demonstrated the usual infelicity that attends unequal connections.

"Celestial despot!" said Ixion.

In a moment all sounds were hushed, as they listened to the last words of the unrivalled victim. Juno, in despair, leaned upon the respective arms of Venus and Minerva.

"Celestial despot!" said Ixion, "I defy the immortal ingenuity of thy cruelty. My memory must be as eternal as thy torture: that will support me."

THE SHORTNESS OF LIFE.

BY BISHOP JEREMY TAYLOR.

"A man is a bubble," said the Greek proverb; which Lu cian represents with advantages, and its proper circumstances, to this purpose, saying. All the world is a storm, and men rise up in their several generations like bubbles descending 'à Jove pluvio,' from God and the dew of heaven, from a tear and a drop of rain, from nature and providence; and some of these instantly sink into the deluge of their first parent, and are hidden in a sheet of water, having had no other business in the world but to be born, that they might be able to die; others float up and down two or three turns, and suddenly disappear, and give their place to others; and they that live longest upon the face of the waters are in perpetual motion, restless and uneasy, and being crushed with a great drop of a cloud, sink into flatness and froth; the change not being great, it being hardly possible it should be more a nething than it was before.

So is every man he is born in vanity and sin; he comes into the world like morning mushrooms, soon thrusting up their heads into the air, and conversing with their kindred of the same production, and as soon they turn unto dust and forgetfulness; some of them without any other interest in the affairs of the world, but that they made their parents a little glad and very sorrowful; others ride longer in the storm, it may be until seven years of vanity be expired, and then peradventure the sun shines hot upon their heads, and they fall into the shades below, into the cover of death and darkness of the grave to hide them. But if the bubble stands the